Article forming apparatus



8- 1950 E. A. HECKMAN ET AL 2,951,144

ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 jvvsA/ mqs w E n J 7 T Q l/ Aug. 30, 1960 Filed July 25, 1958 I E. A. HECKMAN ET AL ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 T T R -5 1950 E. A. HECKMAN ET AL 2,951,144

ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 :4 s7 milk/4mm 56 United States Patent ARTICLE FORMING APPARATUS Edward A. Heckman and Samuel Kuba, Allentown, and Richard C. Shafer, Emmaus, Pa., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 25, 1958, Ser. No. 750,899

2 Claims. (Cl. 219-79) This invention relates to apparatus for mounting parts on articles particularly apparatus for mounting lengths of metallic ribbons on leads of electrical articles.

In the manufacture of certain types of articles lengths of material are to be secured thereto by suitable means such as soldering or welding. As an example, in the manufacture of transistors, the transistor bars have their ends secured to metallic ribbons and these ribbons are secured to the main leads of headers which are the lead supporting structures of the transistorunits. Each header has another or base lead to which connection is made to the central portion of the transistor bar by an electrical contact. The support for the electrical contact is a solder coated metallic ribbon of a predetermined length, formed into given contour and mounted on the base lead for connection with the contact.

An object of the present invention is an apparatus for accurately and efliciently mounting and forming metallic parts to leads of electrical articles.

In accordance with the object, the invention comprises an apparatus for securing predetermined lengthsof a metallic strand to leads of articles moved successively into an operating position where means is operable to advance a metallic strand in a given path a predetermined distance, successively advancing the strand to cause the leading end thereof to lay on a lead of an article, in the operating position, where heating elements are moved into position to heat the strand and secure it to the lead. Also means is actuated to cut a predetermined length from the lead and to form it.

More specifically, a solder coated metallic ribbon is advanced intermittently to cause the leading end thereof to lay on a lead of an article in the operating position. The means for cutting the ribbon causes forming of the ribbon while being secured to the lead of the article.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the apparatus illustrating the electrical circuits therefor.

apparatus has a main supporting base mounted at a fixed position adjacent a turret-type unit, shown in the co-pending application of R. C. Shafer, Serial No. 745,388 filed June 30, 1958, where in one portion of the processing machine, a turret 11, with radially disposed holders 12, operates intermittently to locate the holders at the operating position shown in Fig. 3, between the intervals of rest of the turret. This action intermittently positions articles or headers 14 with their two top leads 15, to which the supporting ribbons of the transistor bar member.

zfliihl i Patented Aug. 30, 1960 are to be secured subsequently, and their base lead 16 to which a predetermined length of solder coated metallic ribbon 17 is to be secured.

The ribbon 17 is received from a supply, not shown, and passes through a set of rollers 18 of a straightening unit 19. The ribbon is fed initially through the apparatus including a feeding unit indicated generally at 20, beneath a guide 21, and over a surface 22 of a vertical support 23 to an edge 24 thereof which may be described as a cutting edge. The feeding unit 20 has a lower portion 26 slidably mounted on spaced parallel bars 27, their forward ends being mounted in apertures of the vertical member 23, the other ends being mounted in apertures in a vertical member 28. A groove 30 is cut in the upper surface of the lower member 26 to receive the ribbon 17. An upper member 31 has a tongue portion 32 positioned to fit slidably in the groove 30 and to cooperate with the bottom surface of the groove to firmly grip the ribbon 17 during feeding movements of the unit 20. The upper member 31 has bushing-lined apertures 33 through which rods 34 extend. The rods 34 have their lower portions firmly mounted in apertures 35 of the lower member 26, the upper ends of the rods being mounted in apertures of a connecting member 36 where they are secured by set screws 37. The connecting member 36 is mounted a fixed distance from the lower member 26 and springs 38, disposed concentric with the rods 34 between the connecting member 36 and the upper surface of the upper member 31, serve to urge the upper member under predetermined pressure toward the lower member to satisfactorily grip the ribbon between the projection 32 and the bottom surface of the groove 30, to feed the ribbon longitudinally during movement of the unit 20 on the rods 27. The feeding stroke of the unit 20 may be varied by varying the position of a stop 40 which is mounted in a bracket 41 of the vertical support 28. Springs 42 mounted on the forward portions of the rods 27 urged the unit 20 normally to the right, Fig. 3 against the stop 40.

' The means to move the unit 20 to feed the ribbon includes a slide 44, fixed to the lower member 26, slidably supported by the vertical member 28 and carrying a roller 45 adapted to follow the contour of a cam 46, Fig. 1. The means for opening the unit 20 includes parallel rods 47 extending through apertures in the lower member 26 with the upper ends positioned in parallel holes 48 in the upper member 31 to support the upper The lower ends of the rods 47 are fixedly mounted in a connecting member 49 which rests upon a roller 50. The roller 50 is mounted upon one end of a cam lever 51, which is pivoted at 52 and has a roller 53 mounted upon the other end thereof to engage a cam 54.

The earns 46 and 54 are mounted upon a cam shaft 56, the ends of which are journaled in bearings 57, mounted upon the base plate 10. A gear 58 mounted upon the cam shaft 56 interengages a gear 59 which is mounted upon a drive shaft 60. The drive shaft 60 is I of a cam lever 68, which is pivoted at 69 and has a cam roller 70 mounted on the other end thereof. A spring 71 urges the cam lever 69 to move counterclockwise to cause its roller 70 to ride on its cam 73. The lower electrode has a cut-out portion adjacent its upper end to receive a forming tool 75 which is separated from the electrode by an insert 76 of dielectric material. The tool 75 extends above the lower electrode a distance substantially equaling the diameter of the lead 16 to cooperate in forming each'portion of the ribbon 17 which is cut during or after connection with the lead.

An upper electrode '78, extending downwardly from a conductive member 79 is supported by a dielectric member 80 which is interposed between a lateral member 81 and a piston 82 of an air cylinder 83.

The air cylinder 83 is mounted beneath and supported by a horizontal member 85 which is mounted upon parallel vertical rods 86, Fig. 2. A fluid line 87, extending from the top of the air cylinder is connected to a supply of fluid under pressure through a solenoid'valve, not shown. The parallel rods 86 extend downwardly through apertures in dielectric member 81 and into apertures 87 of a vertical support 88, which i mounted on the base plate 10. The lower ends of the rods 86 are secured in their apertures 87 by pins 89. Springs 90, disposed concentric with the rods 86 between the upper surface of the support 88 and a lower surface of the member 81, normally urge the member 81 upwardly to its starting position determined by collars 91 mounted on the rods 86. The lower limit of movement of the member 81, variable through the adjustment of screws 93 mounted in threaded apertures in the member 81, is determined by the engagement of the screws with pins 94 fixedly'mounted in apertures 95 of the support 88.

A cutting and forming unit, indicated generally at 98, includes a carriage 99 slidably disposed on parallel rods 100, the lower ends of which are fixedly mounted in the vertical member 23 while the upper ends extend through the carriage 99 and are connected at their upper ends by a horizontal member 101. Springs -2 disposed concentric with the rods 108 rest upon the upper surface of the vertical member 23 and, by engaging the under surface of the housing 99, normally urge the housing vertically a distance determined by the controlling cam 103 and its adjustable follower 104, Fig. 3. The cam .103 is mounted on the cam shaft 56 and the follower 104 is rotatably supported by an arm 106 which is adjustably mounted at 107 on the adjacent end of a cam lever 108. The cam lever 108 is pivotally supported at 109 by bracket 41 on the vertical support 28 and has a fork-like portion 110 mounted on the end opposite the follower to straddle the feeding unit and also the housing 99 where the ends are pivotally connected at 111 to the housing. The housing 99 has atool 112, mounted adjacent the lower end thereof, provided with a cutting edge 114 to cooperate with the edge 24- of the vertical support 23 to cut a length from the ribbon 17. The tool 112, in addition to being a cutter, is a forming tool having a rounded surface 115 cooperating with a rounded surface 116 of the tool 75 to form the cut length of ribbon, as shown in Figs, 3 and 5.

The housing 99 has a hollow portion 117 in which an element 118 is disposed and normally urged downwardly by a sprnig 119 a distance limited by a pin 120 riding in an elongate aperture 121 of a cover plate 122. A foot 123 is mounted upon the lower end of the element 118 and serves to firmly hold the portion of the ribbon 17 lying on the surface 22 of the support 23 during; return movement of the feeding unit 20 to prevent acc1dental return movement of the ribbon and to maintain'its leading end at a given position after the length has been cut therefrom. V a

The aforementioned solenoid valve, not shown, energizable for controlling action of the air cylinder 83 and the means to complete a circuit through the electrodes 63 and 78 are directly under the control of cam 120 with its switch 121 and cam 122 with its switch 123. Let it be assumed that cam 120 with its switch 121 completes a circuit through a solenoid valve, not shown, to operate the air cylinder after the cam 73 has moved its lever 68 to move the lower electrode into position beneath base lead 16 to cause the air cylinder to move the upper electrode 78 into engagement with the leading end of the metallic ribbon.

The cam 122, as shown in Fig. 5, closes switch 123 to complete a circuit, as schematically illustrated, through a timer 125, the circuit extending from one side of a source of electrical energy, such as a battery, through switch 123 timer 125 to the other side of the battery. The timer is adapted to close a circuit through a relay 127 energizing the relay and holding it energized for a predetermined set interval of time. Energization of the relay 127 will close its contact 128 to complete a circuit through a primary winding 129 of a transformer, a secondary winding 131 of the transformer including in its circuit both the upper and lower electrodes 78-63.

Operation During the interval of rest of the turret 11, with a header or article 14 moved by the holder 12 into the operating position, the cam shaft is rotated through one complete cycle and the cams on the cam shaft perform their functions in predetermined order. At the start of each operating cycle, the feeding unit 20 is at its starting position and before the unit 98 is operated, and before the upper electrode is brought into position, the cam 46 operates in conjunction with cam 54. By this it is. meant that the cam 54 allows the feeding unit to remain closed with the upper member 31 urged downwardly by its springs 38 to firmly force the projection 32 into the slot 30 to firmly grip the ribbon 17 therein, at which time the feeding unit is moved to the left, Fig, 3, against the force of the spring 42 toadvance a predetermined length of the ribbon through the guide 21, over the surface 22 and locate the leading endof the ribbon above or upon the lead 16 of the article 1 4. The feeding unit remains in this position firmly holding the ribbon ad vanced until the upper electrode 78, through action of the air cylinder 83, is movedto cause gripping of the leading end of the ribbon and the lead 16 between the upper electrodes 78 and the lower electrode 63. At this time the heating circuit under the control of cam 122v and switch 123 is closed under the control of the timer 125' to heat the solder clad ribbon sufficiently to secure it to the lead. During this interval, with the feeding unit remaining in its forward position, the housing 99 of the unit 98 is operated, through its cam 103 and follower 104, forcing the housing downwardly in a guided path to cause operation of the tools 75 and 112. The tool 112 acts first as a cutter cooperating with the cutting edge 24 of the support 23 to cut the measured length of ribbon 17, the tool 112 continuing its downward movement acts immediately after the cutting operation as a forming tool, cooperating 'with the tool 75 so that the curved surfaces and 116 of the tools will form a desired bend in the length of ribbon secured to the lead 16. a

While the unit 98- is in its lowered position, the foot 123, backed by its spring 119, firmly holds the new leading end of the ribbon on the surface 22 of the support 23 during the return movement of the feeding unit 20. Prior to the time the cam 46 allows the spring 42 to return the feeding unit 20 to its starting position, cam 54 has operated its lever 51 clockwise to move its roller 50 upwardly to move the upper member 31 of the feeding unit 20 upwardly to free the ribbon to permit return movement of the feeding unit to its starting position. without disturbing the position of the ribbon. The mem ber '49 is of sufficient width to ride on the roller 50 betweenits advanced and starting position while the feeding unit is held in the open position. When the feeding uni-thas returned to its starting position, it'may be closed and made ready for its next advancing movemerit which takes place afterthe other parts-of the ap-' the next intermittent movement of the turret 11 to position another article 14 in the operating position.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall Within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for securing predetermined lengths of a metallic strand to outer ends of leads extending longitudinally from articles when in an operating position, the articles being moved laterally successively in a given plane into the operating position with the lead in each instance lying in said plane, the apparatus comprising a strand gripping unit, means to actuate the unit to cause advancement of the strand in a longitudinal path until its leading end portion is closely adjacent to and parallel with the outer end portion of the lead in the operating position, a lead heating element normally disposed beyond said plane on one side thereof, means operable to move the lead heating element into close engagement with the outer end portion of the lead in the operating position, a strand heating element normally disposed beyond said plane on the other side thereof, means operable to move the strand heating element into engagement with the leading end portion of the strand and under a predetermined pressure, means actuated to cause energization of the heating elements for a given length of time sufiicient to secure the end portions of the strand and lead together, means actuated subsequently to the securing of the end portions to cut a length from the strand a given distance from the secured end thereof, a support for the strand mounted short of the end portion of the lead in the operating position and having a surface on which the strand may move longitudinally, a reciprocable unit carrying a holder normally disposed away from the surface and movable toward the surface to cooperate therewith to hold the advanced strand against movement, a cutting edge disposed at an exit end of the support, a cutter carried by the reciprocable unit and following the engagement of the holder with the strand to cooperate with the cutting edge to cut a given length from the strand short of the secured end portions.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the cutter has a forming portion, and a forming member carried by the lead heating element cooperating with the forming portion of the cutter to form the length of the strand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,129,845 King et a1. Sept. 13, 1938 2,263,294 Fluke Nov. 18, 1941 2,388,754 Martindell Nov. 13, 1945 2,616,015 Glasener et al. Oct. 28, 1952 2,734,119 Pityo Feb. 7, 1956 

